Cam Chain Tensioners - When should they be replaced?

[VooDooChris]

Hiya,

I've got a 98 Firestorm with around 40,000 miles on the clock. It's in for its annual service at the moment and one of the things I asked the mechanic to investigate was a loud, erratic knocking i occasionally hear/feel for 5 - 15 seconds when I fire her up on a morning. It dissappears once I've had the bike running for a bit. He's said that its just likely to be from when the bike only fires up on one cylinder for a bit as it warms up, but he asked if I knew if the cam chain tensioners had been changed, because if I didn't, it might be worth doing while it's in so I know it's been done. I've had a look through limited history I have and I can't see any evidence of them being done.

So, my question is, how often should they be changed? If they've not been done on my bike, are they over due?

Cheers

VC

[AMCQ46]

Don't just change them for new, print off the stopper instructions and get him to do that to the old ones. Then they are fail safe.

[benny hedges]

er he doesnt exactly sound very knowledgeable tbh.....

change plugs, oil & filter, check the air filter.... see if it's got a balance adapter fitted on the front cylinder for balancing the carbs....
and order up a set of manual camchain tensioners from the lads on here.
dont bother replacing yours with honda ones - new ones are just as likely to fail as the old ones!

have a good browse through the sticky threads in the garage section and download the workshop manual to get to know the bike a bit better.
just because someone calls themself a mechanic doesnt mean they know what theyre doing ;)